I Hate the Main House Too
by Byakugan Girl
Summary: When he writes a note on the inside of a scroll, Neji finds another person who hates the Main House too. NOT A Oneshot
1. The Caged Bird Monologue

Author's Note: Just a little drabble I wrote while trying to do English Homework. Enjoy. No pairings (yet).

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Hyuuga Neji would never be described as a happy child. Then again, he had perfect reason not to be. Most people would lead bitter lives if their fathers had been killed when they were young. Look at Uchiha Sasuke. He wasn't a happy child either and was probably one of the more bitter and angry of Konoha's youth. But none could match the rabid hatred of Hyuuga Neji. 

Just compare him to his cousin, Hyuuga Hinata. There was never a nicer girl then Hinata, but Neji couldn't help but hate her. She with her superior position in the clan. Currently, she was the focus of his anger. He was stronger then her, a better shinobi and more likely to become the first chuunin of the candidates for this year's Chuunin Exam. How he had let that lazy oaf Shikamaru become a chuunin last time, he didn't know. But that wouldn't happen again this time.

Neji walked down the alleyway behind the academy, looking firmly ahead, pupil-less white eyes fixed in an angry glare as usual. He had left the Hyuuga complex in a rage earlier that morning and had avoided human contact for over six hours. He had seen Lee and Tenten trying to hunt him down with Gai-sensei, but they could not match the stealth skills of their teammate. Hopefully by now, they had gotten distracted by something else and wouldn't be tracking him too closely. Perhaps if he could somehow find a way for Sakura to cross Lee's path without having to actually speak with her…

Sighing grouchily, Neji sat down on a bench, looking up at the bright blue sky. A bird flew overhead, leaving the village and for the tenth time that week thought about how much he would like to do the same. To be free like that… The birds didn't realize how good they had it.

He felt himself starting to relax, his mind wandering back to the white hot rage bubbling right beneath the surface of his mind. He had to find some kind of constructive outlet before he started taking it out on innocent creatures or some idiot ninja like Naruto…

Suddenly remembering he had work to do, Neji pulled out a scroll from his pocket and began to write a report for the Hokage about a mission he and his squad had completed a few days ago. They had been meaning to do it for a while, but they had forgotten nit because of Gai's newest training idea: Dance while trying to steal Kunai attached to their arms.

Neji opened the scrolls and began to fill out the report. Why did he have to be the only responsible member of his team? He wondered to himself, ignoring the fact that his teammates would probably love to give him a hand on filling out the report. They were always so damn eager to act like they were his best friends…

After writing the first sentence, he got frustrated and scribbled in large letters: _I hate the Main House!_

He crushed the scroll and threw it aside, getting to his feet and storming away. A quiet ruffled the scroll and blew it gently down to the alley's entrance where someone picked it up. After looking around, they carefully picked it up and began to read.

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Neji stormed back behind the academy, his temper just about to go. _DAMN THE MAIN HOUSE!_He thought before sitting down on the same bench he had sat on the day before. Silently fuming, he looked back up at the sky. It was cloudless and the blue sky seemed to smile over Konoha. A bird chirped overhead and again, Neji let himself long to be free. 

A sudden wind picked up and something nudged against his side. He looked down and saw the scroll he had nearly destroyed lying next to him, bumping against him in the slight breeze. It was still slightly crumpled from its abuse the previous day, but someone had lovingly flattened it out and rolled it up neatly, carefully tying it with a lavender ribbon. He looked at it and let curiosity take over. He picked it up and pulled off the ribbon, unrolling it carefully.

Under his jagged, angry writing of the day before was much neater, flowing script. It read:

_Don't worry. I hate the Main House too._

Neji blinked. Of all the things the scroll could have said, he never expected that. Who else could possibly hate the Main House? Was there someone in Konoha with a vendetta against the Hyuuga clan? But no, that wasn't possible. They were looked at with honor and respect, not with hatred and loathing. But then again, there was always…

Neji smiled to himself, taking the scroll and tucking it in his pocket, slowly leaving the alleyway.

Yes, there was always her.

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Author's Note: So, who is this mysterious girl? Find out in the next chapter when I write it from her perspective... 


	2. Of Diapers and Stolen Ricecakes

The sky was clear over Konoha as Hyuuga Hinata walked down the street. The day was unusually warm for early spring, but surprisingly few people were out on the streets to enjoy this nice weather. Hinata herself could have been at home as Kurenai-sensei said they wouldn't have training today, despite the upcoming chuunin exam due to Kiba's badly twisted ankle. He had been trying to show off on their last mission and had ended up nearly falling off a cliff. Luckily, Shino caught him before he did much damage to himself. And Hinata had just stood there and helped run clean up, just as she always did.

Hyuuga Hinata, the politest kunoichi in Konoha. But she was by no means the best. That title went to Ino or Sakura, maybe even Tenten. But not Hinata. Never Hinata. Her father was kind enough to remind her of that every day.

She had inherited the bloodline weakly, and therefore she was not strong enough to be head of the Hyuugas. That honor went to her little sister, Hanabi, who indeed at the age of seven was already displaying techniques Hinata had never possessed. Her father nearly radiated with pride whenever Hanabi displayed her skills, but never congratulated Hinata. Yes, he loved her as any father would love their child. But the only time Hinata remembered him being proud of her was when she announced she had graduated the academy and become a true ninja. Even then, she knew he wished she had ended up on Kakashi's team with Uchiha Sasuke rather then with an Inuzuka and an Aburame.

Speaking of whom, twisted ankle or no, Kiba would probably end up hunting her down one way or another, probably with Shino in tow. Kiba would then exclaim they should spend the rest of the day hanging out or something of the sort. Hinata smiled slightly, appreciating her two friends (three including Akamaru), but after the events of this morning she didn't feel like 'hanging out'.

Her mind wandered back to the earlier events, remembering how Neji had somehow gotten into a raging argument with her father and ended up launching into his 'caged bird monologue' as Hanabi called it when his back was turned. Her father had tried to reason with him, but very few could calm him down once he got started and Hiashi was not one of them. After that, he stormed out of the house and hadn't been seen for several hours. But Hinata couldn't blame Neji. She knew how he felt about the Main House sometimes…

She wondered briefly where he went when he was angry. She had seen Lee, Tenten and Gai-sensei looking for him a while ago, but had managed to avoid talking to them. Lee and Gai looked as if they were viewing this as a scavenger hunt for Neji, while Tenten looked like she was just in it for the long run. Neji didn't realize how much better off his life would be if he allowed himself to have fun with his teammates rather then treat them like the scum of the earth.

Hinata looked up and realized she had wandered in front of the academy building. It was quiet and no students were outside the building. The wind rattled by, feeling pleasant in the hot rays of the sun. She smiled slightly, remembering her academy days with a slight fondness, then began to head behind the building.

As she walked down the well kept alleyway that resembled more of a park then anything else, she suddenly saw someone sitting on a bench, looking up at the sky. She ducked aside, watching him with wide, pale colored eyes.

It was Neji. He stared longingly up at the blue sky and Hinata followed his gaze. She saw a small bird flying above and she immediately knew what he was thinking about.

The caged bird monologue, Hanabi said.

Hinata knew that monologue too well. She felt for her cousin and wished she could tell him the same thing. They had so much in common with each other. But she was too scared to approach him and he was too bitter to talk to her. They were cousins, he was practically her brother since his father died. But they didn't talk. They had never played together as children, they never laughed as they went behind Hiashi's back to steal the extra rice cakes from the kitchen, they had never argued over who got to claim what seat at the dinner table, they never watched in horror as Hanabi got her diaper changed…

Hinata cried for those lost hours together. As much as Neji scared her, she still loved him. And little sisters aren't supposed to be afraid of their big brothers.

As she watched, Neji pulled out a scroll and began to write. His face suddenly contorted with rage and he scribbled something viciously on the paper, then crumpled it up and threw it aside. Hinata watched as he stormed away, then slowly approached. She gently picked up the balled up piece of paper and gently opened it, smoothing it out with her hands. She stared at the words on the paper.

_I HATE THE MAIN HOUSE_

Hinata's face turned up in a small smile. She pulled out a pen from her jacket pocket and wrote in much neater script:

_Don't worry. I hate the Main House too._

Waiting briefly for the ink to dry, she carefully rolled it up and tied it tightly with a pale purple ribbon she found in her pocket. She gently placed the scroll back on the bench, still with a small smile on her face.

"Hinata!"

The girl jumps about a foot in the air and whirls around. It's Kiba, on crutches with Akamaru on his shoulder, and Shino, standing behind the Inuzuka, his face expressionless, eyes hidden behind glasses. She briefly feels her face flush with hot embarrassment that they could catch her off guard. But then Hinata smiles at her two best friends in the world and wishes maybe someday, Neji will have friends like hers. Her big brother.

"You want to hang out?" Kiba asks her, but he sounds far away as she is still lost in thought. But then she smiled, turning to look at them both and this time there is not a touch of embarrassment on her face.

"Sure."

They leave the alleyway together, Kiba already chatting amiably, Akamaru occasionally interrupting with short barks while Shino stands silently behind them, acting like he's too cool to be hanging out with them. And back on the bench the little scroll with the ribbon moves slightly in the cooling breeze, but remains on the bench, waiting for its owner to reclaim it.

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**AN:** Congratulations to anyone who guessed Hinata wrote the note! 


End file.
